“As you get a little more expanded in your horizons and [your brain is more expanded in] what it has tasted…it starts to find other flavors that are maybe underneath the top flavors.”
According to the great Ron Swanson, "Clear alcohols are for rich women on diets". This entire week of half hour intern would make Ron proud as it's all about the #1 non-clear alcohol in the world, whiskey. Whiskey is such a great liquor to learn about as it is incredibly steeped in history, tradition, and lore. Today's guest is the perfect instructor as he has surrounded himself with the stuff in both his personal and professional life, and knows whiskey better than most people could hope to in a lifetime. This is part 2 where Josh takes me through a tasting of 4 whiskeys that he brought over.
“It tastes HOT. It tastes like burning in my chest…it tastes like alcohol.”
“You very well may be a better smeller than me, but I may just be more practiced at pulling that smell out of my memory [and putting a name to it].”
Interview Contents
1:30 – MacCallen 17yr old fine oak.
4:00 – Smelling technique.
5:30 – Tasting technique.
6:30 – Smelling and tasting notes.
9:00 – Laphroaig 18yr.
9:30 – Regions in Scotland and their reputations.
11:20 - Peat and the malting process.
18:35 – Smelling and tasting notes.
25:30 – Yamazaki 18yr.
27:00 – A whiskey’s age.
30:50 – Smelling notes.
32:00 – Tasting notes.
34:20 – Japanese oak.
36:20 – High West Bourbon.
40:00 – Aging American whiskies.
41:40 – Smelling and tasting notes.
43:00 – Bourbon vs. scotch.
45:20 – Getting insight into history, geography, and culture with whiskey.
